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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have for any true "Party of Five" fan!!!, March 10, 2001
This review is from: Party of Five: The Intervention [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Simply put, this episode is the hallmark of everything that endeared viewers to this amazing drama that ran on the Fox network from 1994-2000. In the series' beginning, Bailey Salinger was the responsible sibling who put others and their needs before his own, especially when it came to younger siblings Julia, Claudia & Owen. Then Bailey goes off to college, where he has to care for no one except himself. And that's where his downfall begins. Bailey begins to drink--uncontrollably. He cuts himself off from his family, goes out partying and getting drunk every night, and buys liquor with money that was supposed to be used to pay for Owen's birthday celebration. When Bailey shows up at Owen's party stone drunk, the siblings begin to realize just how bad the problem is. So, they stage an intervention. The episode is powerfully written and acted as it walks you through the various stages mof the intervention: the tension beforehand, deciding how to get Bailey to come to the intervention, the emotions that the siblings have in seeing their brother's life in such a mess, Bailey's denial of his drinking problem. In one particularly stunning scene, Bailey feels as if he's being picked on, so he begins fighting back by throwing his siblings' past mistakes right back in their faces: Julia's unplanned pregnancy, Charlie's wedding-that-wasn't, and so on. Then, in the middle of all this mess, Joe, a longtime friend of the family, drops a bomb that catches the whole family off guard: their father was a recovering alcoholic whose drinking nearly wrecked the family. Claudia finds out what made her father to stop drinking, and at the end of the episode, she gives Bailey an ultimatum that leaves the family at a turning point, leaving the viewer on the edge. The writing is exceptionally realistic, as is the acting (especially on the parts of Scott Wolf as Bailey and Lacey Chabert as Claudia). A must-see for any true "Party"-goer.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
outstanding, August 5, 2004
This review is from: Party of Five: The Intervention [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This single episode defines everything that the entire series stood for in its six years of succession. I can't believe it took me so long to get into it, but after buying the Season 1 DVD set, I was absolutely hooked and determined to get a hand on some more episodes (unfortunately, it is currently not airing in reruns on TV).
$20 is a bit much for just one episode, but after hearing such wonderful things about "The Intervention," I had to check it out, and I'd have to say that it is, hands down, the most powerful Party of Five episode I've seen so far. Long-time fans of this series know how heavily dramatic the episodes were, even way back in the beginning, but this 3rd-season episode probably represents the most turmoil for the Salinger family, since second oldest child Bailey was always the strong, mature and levelheaded one who took responsibility and helped care for the family when the oldest brother fell short. When Bailey spirals downward, the whole family falls apart, and as horrifying as it is to watch it also makes for some great television when you see the reality of how one family member's descent impacts everyone else.
I was particularly impressed by the performance of Lacey Chabert as 13-year-old Claudia. She does some beautiful work in this episode, and although she was the youngest daughter, she was arguably one of the most moving forces in the Salinger family. This is exactly the kind of episode that allows Chabert to shine because of Claudia's crystal-clear relationship with older brother Bailey, whose downward spiral and alcoholism sends his siblings through the mill at this particular point in the series. These two characters had a wonderful bond--probably the strongest and most evident out of all the Salinger kids--and it's my favorite thing about the whole series. Claudia really goes all the way here, and everything about her illustrates the pain and emotions of a girl her age and in her situation--her acting, her horrified reaction to Bailey smashing his hand through the window, and her physically exhausted appearance. From her heartbreaking phone call to Bailey to her devastating speech at the episode's cliffhanging conclusion, you can really see what this little 8th grader is going through, watching her beloved brother risk ruining his entire life. She loves him more than anything, and I have never seen anything on television capture that so realistically and beautifully. Just look at the way the storm in Bailey's eyes instantly subsides every time he looks at Claudia--even when he's melting down and saying every hurtful word possible to Charlie, Julia and Sarah, he can't say a thing to Claudia. And when she says those final words to him at the end, the expression on his face as he listens to his wise-beyond-her-years little sister is priceless. I understand that the issue presented here focuses primarily on Bailey, but in my opinion it is young Claudia who makes the whole episode. BRAVO to Lacey Chabert for such an intense performance. She has only done a few movies since "Party of Five" ended, but she has always remained a fresh face and a truly vibrant young talent.
Bottom line--if you are a Party of Five fan, this is the episode to see. It ties together the show's entire purpose, driving home that message of love and family loyalty that you just don't see much from kids this young and facing these kinds of trials. This is extremely touching--a story with characters and themes that you will not soon forget.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Show Never Watched, February 14, 2004
This review is from: Party of Five: The Intervention [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It's a shame this series struggled for life every season it was on. Party of Five brought some of the most original writing and acting the Fox Televison Network has ever seen. Next to X-Files, this is the single best series they ever produced. I adored every episode of the five years it was on and still miss this show dearly. I felt orphaned when it went off! My only qualm about the videos is that most of them are pricey and yet contain only one episode-not a good deal at all! Especially "The Intervention" which was a two episode arc and they only delivered the first half to video-who does that? This show never got the respect it deserved while on the air and still is being snubbed by the studio's refusal to release it on DVD. But all is well because we have things like "The Simple Life" to keep us occupied...GET A GRIP FOX!!! PUT PO5 ON DVD THIS MINUTE!!!!!
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